FLORENCE, Ore – The Firehouse Restaurant in Florence has been fined $ 18,150 by Oregon OSHA for violating standards intended to protect employees from COVID-19.
The quote is the result of an inspection that followed up on several complaints about the restaurant. OSHA conducted its inspection by telephone because social media posts and websites indicate the potential for people with guns to block access to the business.
OSHA’s investigation also showed that some extremist groups encourage people to use violence against OSHA compliance officers when they visit the site.
Michael Wood, OSHA manager from Oregon, imposed a $ 17,800 fine, which is twice the minimum fine for such an offense. Another $ 175 fine was imposed because the restaurant could not draw up an infection control plan. An additional fine of $ 175 is imposed because the restaurant did not conduct a COVID-19 risk assessment to identify potential exposure to employees to the virus and how it could be exposed.
The inspection of The Firehouse Restaurant found that the business committed the offenses on about December 26 and continued thereafter. The inspection included an interview with Kylie McKenzie, manager of the restaurant.
McKenzie said she originally closed the business to the public but later decided to reopen it, although she was aware that the decision was contrary to measures to prevent the spread of the disease in an exceptional risk area. .
Continuous refusal to correct violations and meet health and safety standards in the workplace can lead to higher fines, Oregon OSHA said. If an Oregon OSHA inspection documents violations while a country is at extreme risk, but the country’s risk level drops before the citation is issued, the citation will still be issued. The change in risk levels may affect how the offense is corrected, but not whether it is cited.
Employers have 30 days to appeal the quotes.